Amusement apparatus



' Oct. 21 1924.

1,512,739 S. E. BAKER AMUEMBNT APPARATUS Filed Feb. 23. 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 1 jj fi.

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- ,0 ATTORNEYS S. E. BAKER AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Feb. 23. 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 2 l/VVE/l/TUR S. E. BAKER. Br

ATTORNEYS Patented Get, 21, 19.24.

.1 S TATES SAMUEL EUGENE BAKER, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

' AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Application filed February 23, 1923. Serial No. 620,799.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. BAKER, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Johnstown, in the county of ,Cambria and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Amusement Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in amusement apparatus, and hasparticular reference to a bowling game.

An object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus with which thesame results may be obtained as in the ordinary game of tenpins or duckpins and wherein the use ofpins and pin setters may be eliminated, thusreducing the operating cost to a nnnimum.

Another object is the provision of a plurality of members in the natureof targets having suitable counting characters thereon and which aremovable across an alley to make it difficult to hit any particular one.thereof with a hall. f

A further object is to provide a signal which is automatically operatedto indicate a successful hit when one of the targets is struck with aball.

The above and other objects will appear more clearly from the followingdetail description, when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawings p Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through abowling alley showing the in vention in front elevation; Figure 2 is asection on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view ofthe invention; o I

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the signalling apparatusemployed in connection with the invention and the manner of itsoperation; and

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the target's.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the numeral 6indicates a bowling alley, which may be of standard construction andwhich is provided at one end thereof with a pit 7. The usual rack 8having a portion 9 extending transversely across the rear end of thealley is also provided for returning the balls to the delivery end ofthe alley.

If desired, means may be provided for automatically returning theballsover the rack 8, in which event, the rear or lowermost end of the pit 7is providedwith a channel 10 into which the balls fall after being.delivered into the pit and arranged above said channel is a housing 11enclosing an endless conveyor 12 having a plurality of ball carriers 13any one of which may receive a ball from the channel 10. The conveyor 12is driven by a suitable motor 14C and operates to convey the ballsupwardly from the channel 10 and deliver the same, through an outlet 15in the housing 11 onto the portion 9 of the rack 8, after which the ballwill be returned over the rack in the usual manner.

The-construction which comprises the es sential featuresof the presentinvention includes a frame 16-of any suitable material which issuspended above the end of the alley adjacent the pit 7 by means ofwires 17 or any other suitable suspending means.

Supported at each end of the frame l6 are the large sprocket wheels 18,while intermediate the ends of the frame and adja centthe rear thereof asmall driving sprocket 19 is provided. Also intermediate the ends of theframe and at the front thereof an idlersprocket 20 is provided and an Iendless conveyor chain-21 is passed around the several sprockets, asbest illustrated in Figure 3. The sprocket 19 may be driven by asuitable motor 22 mountedon the frame 16 and operated from any suitablesource of current supply.

Secured to and depending from the chain 21 isan endless strip23"designed to support a plurality of targets 24, each of which ispreferably made of leather or other relatively soft material and has asuitable count.- ing character thereon, asv shown in Figure 1. Eachtarget 24 is of such length that the lower end thereof, when inoperative position, will be disposed in the path of movement of either atenpin or duck pin 7 ball and is pivotally suspended by means of a frame25, preferably formed of a single length of wire, the upper portion ofwhich is secured to the strip 23 by means of clips 26.

The signal which is utilized to indicate to the player that a successfulhit of a target has been. accomplished, preferably includes a lamp 27carried by the frame at any suitable point and having one of itsterminals connected to a battery 28 and its other terminal to a contact29 carried by the frame 16. This contact is designed to engage acontinuous conductor 30 secured to the inner surface of the strip 23 andfastened in position by means theupper ends thereof. The severalcontacts 31 are designed to engage, a conductor 32 suitably carried bythe frame 16 and extenda ing across thefront thereof. The conductor 32is so disposed that when one of the targets 24:, which happens to bemoving across the 7 front of the frame, is struck by a ball the upperend of the target will swing forwardly and the contact 31 thereon willengage with the conductor 32 and thus close the normally open circuitfor the lamp 27, which will momentarily light to indicate to the playerthat one of the targets has been struck.

In order tomake the targets 24. clearly visible, a'plurality of lamps 33may be car ried by the frame beneath a reflector 34 which will aid inilluminating said targets.

In operation, the player will endeavor to time the delivery of his ballto hit the target marked S and if successful will then be entitled to astrike in'his score. If, on his firstball, he should hit any of theother targets, as for instance target number 2, he will endeavor on hissecond ball to hit target number Sin order to secure a spare in hisscore. The various targets 24: are spaced sufficiently apart to permitof a ball passing therebetween and if this should occur the i playerwill be entitled to a score of 1. F01- lowing this procedure it will beapparent that'thegame maybe played as in the ordinary bowling game.

That is claimed is: c

1. The combination with a bowling alley; of an endless conveyor at oneend of said alley and operable to move transversely thereof in a singlehorizontal plane, and a plurality of targets suspended from saidconveyor.

2. The combination with a bowling alley;

of an endless conveyor at one end of said alley and operable to' movetransversely alley and operable to move transversely thereof,

a pluralityof targets suspended from said conveyor, a signal,=and anormally open circuit for operating said signal includ- 1ng a contactmember capable of being engaged by said targets when the latter arestruck by a ball to close said circuit.

4:. The combination with a'bowling' alley; of an endless conveyor at oneend of said alley and operable to move transversely thereof in asinglehorizontal plane, and a plurality of targets pivotally connectedto saidconveyor in spaced relation to each other and arranged in the path of aball moving on said alley,

the distance between adjacent targets being sufficient to permit saidball to pass therebetween.

5. The-combination with a bowling alley V of an endless chain movabletransversely of said alley, a supporting strip carried by said chain, aplurality of frames suspended from said supporting strip, a targetpivotally con nected to each of said frames 7 in position tobe'contacted by a ball moving on said alley, and means actuated by apivotal movement of one of-said targets when engaged by a ball forindicatingsuch engagement.

6. The combination with a bowling alley; ofan endless conveyor at oneend of said alley and operable to move transversely thereof, a pluralityof targets pivotally con-' nected to said conveyor, a signal, and anormally open circuit for operating said signal including a contactmember arranged in the path of movement of said targets soc-as to andarranged over said alley and in position to be con- I tacted by a ballmovable in said alley, a sig nal, and a normally open circuit foroperating saids'ignal including a contact member engageable by saidtargets when the latter are moved by contact of a ball therewith. iSAMUEL EUGENE BAKER.

